Arkansas shows troubling statistics in tobacco consumption and policy

A recent report from the U.S. Surgeon General highlights ongoing challenges with tobacco use in the United States, with Arkansas showing particularly troubling statistics.The report reveals that Arkansas has one of the highest rates of cigarette smoking in the country, along with a high incidence of tobacco-related cancers.

Dr. Pebbles Fagan, a professor and researcher at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, served as the lead scientific editor for the report. She and her team traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with U.S. Surgeon General Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy to discuss the findings.

Dr. Fagan emphasized that this report represents a pivotal shift in the approach to addressing tobacco-related health disparities across the nation.

This comes after a report done by the American Lung Association (ALA) last year that gave Arkansas failing grades in tobacco control policies. In the report, the ALA gave the Natural State an ‘F‘ grade in three areas and a ‘C‘ grade in two.

Arkansas received and ‘F‘ when it came to funding for tobacco prevention programs, levels of tobacco taxes, and end the sale of flavored tobacco products. When it came to smoke-free workplace laws and access to quit tobacco, the state only scored a ‘C‘ in the report. The ALA director of advocacy for Arkansas, Laura Turner, concluded the report saying tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in Arkansas.

For more details on the Surgeon General’s report, click here.

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